Arkansas governor signs bill to cut robocalls, ‘spoofing’

Arkansas governor signs bill to cut robocalls, ‘spoofing’

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas’ governor has signed into law a measure aimed at cutting down on illegal robocalls, including ones that use familiar phone numbers to trick people into answering.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed into law a bill that raises the penalty for illegal robocalls from a misdemeanor to a felony.

The proposal, which was backed by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, also makes “spoofing” a felony. Spoofing is when robocallers use false information such as a familiar number to mislead someone into answering their phone.

The legislation also requires telecommunications companies to report annually to the state Public Service Commission the steps they have taken to identify and block illegal robocalls.